COPE gives SLC top billing in corruption

In the COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises) report presented recently to parliament by its Chairman, Senior Minister D.E.W. Gunasekera, it was stated that Sri Lanka Cricket came on top of the list on corruption.The SLC budget allocation of Rs 3.3 billion for the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium at Sooriyawewa ended up devouring Rs 7.2 billion. The Sports Ministry had requested the Treasury for a $ 1 billion loan, press reports said.Sri Lanka Cricket, it has been said has a Rs 3 billion hole in its budget sheet and there should be accountability, transparency  on how business was conducted if there is to be any credibility not only among officials who ran its affairs but also the prominent politicians who hogged the space before TV cameras on ceremonial occasions. President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his son Namal Rajapaksa were at the forefront, conveying they were directing/supervising the construction activities of the these cricket stadiums, particularly at Sooriyawewa. The public would expect responsibility to be taken by them for transparency and accountability for the projects.

Core of all the rot
A national consensus has been slowly in the making that at the core of all things destructive are politicians and political institutions. Sri Lankan cricket is perhaps the best example of how we can be on the top of the world but in a comparatively short time be reduced to international nobodies.

Space does not permit us to detail on how independent various sports governing bodies were before they came under the Sports Law of 1973 which had made the Minister of Sports a Super Lord or Warlord of any sport played in the country. He could appoint or dismiss any governing body of any sport, appoint interim committees, dissolve them, appoint presidents or chairmen of these bodies. The national teams selected by these bodies—particularly when foreign tours were impending— were subject to his approval and changes could be made according to his will and  pleasure and whatever contrary reasons were adduced they would be of no avail. That has been the plight of cricket too in this country after the glorious days of 1996. Perhaps, the law was not at fault.It was the misuse of the law by ministers.

A gem in the dark recess
Former Minister Chandrasiri Bandara Ratnayake was a gem of ‘purest ray serene’ when he declared at a press conference shortly after his appointment that Sri Lanka Cricket is the ‘Third most corrupt institution in the country’ and promised to revamp the way it is administered even if it meant replacing incumbent members. He promised he would replace the incumbent committee in a few weeks (after the press conference) but well wishers and honest observers of the political scene were dumbfounded when the outspoken Ratnayake was removed from the post of Sports Minister in a few weeks. That dashed hopes for the re-birth of Sri Lankan cricket. Sri Lankans are politically matured enough to know who could have removed a minister in that fashion. They know it goes to the very core of the rot of the Sri Lankan body politic.

Lording over all
Today’s form of centralised government with the Executive President as head, his siblings holding key posts in most branches of government and the parliament subservient to them, the  decisions made on Sri Lanka cricket or any other matters of governance, private or public will be decided on by them. The people in this so called Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka should at least realise that.